You Lose Your Heart, You Lose Your Head
by CBloom2
Summary: Add on from last Saturdays's episode. A bit of comforting and understanding Ethan


**Ok, so I'm sure you all know where I'm coming from now. I'm in la la land - rose coloured glasses, glass half full kind of girl with regards to Cal and Ethan. In the last episode, although Ethan was extremely angry and disappointed in Cal, he seemed genuinely sympathetic towards him at the end when he mentioned that he'd been played. So I'm working on that. I still live in hope that Ethan will forgive him and be his safety net once more (even if he's spent his whole life being it).**

**I've used some of the dialogue from Saturdays episode, but not much and I've probably changed it too so I won't write it in a different font. **

**I do not own anyone that you recognise, I just use them for my entertainment.**

**You Lose Your Heart, You Lose Your Head**

"Oh Cal," breathed Ethan as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. The day had started so well. A phone call from his bank informing him that there had been a £15,000 withdrawel and did he know anything about it. If that hadn't been bad enough, his brother, his own flesh and blood had owned up to being the one who withdrawn it, without his permission, to give to his girlfriend's charity. Then, to rub salt into the wounds, the same brother had professed his undying love for this woman that he had known for all of five minutes, and informed him of his plans to propose to her, using their mother's engagement ring that she had left in her will to him! Cal had even had the gall to question Ethan about whether he wanted him to be happy, which actually at that precise moment in time, Ethan had wanted to punch his lights out! He had managed to remain professional, thankfully.

The young doctor sighed once more as he logged out of the system, the information that he had just found out weighing heavily on his mind. He kind of wished he hadn't checked now. He busied himself with one of Cal's patients, that had been thrust upon him by said brother, who had suddenly felt the need to dash off and check on Taylor after he said that some random guy had phoned him using her phone. After discharging the patient, Ethan made his way to the nurses station surprised to see Cal striding through the doors, "Did you manage to talk to Taylor?" The younger man asked, hesitantly. He could see the change in his brother's demeanor and the tension was rolling off him in waves.

"Erm, yes...it's sorted..." was all he said.

Ethan wasn't convinced but didn't have a chance to ask more because Charlie came in to tell them that Andrew, another one of Cal's patients Ethan had been attending to, was going to be moved. Cal looked confused, "What have you done now? I can't leave you alone for a minute..." he snarled.

Ethan was now seething. He thrust the notes at Cal, "How about you sort our YOUR patient...that would be a novelty!" He snapped and stormed off, leaving a confused Charlie in his wake. The older nurse looked at Cal to see if an explanation was forthcoming, but the young doctor just huffed out an impatient breath and headed off in the other direction. Charlie shook his head - he would neve understand those two.

At the end of the shift, Ethan caught Cal in the staff room as he was getting ready to go. The young man's heart rate began to quicken and his palms began to feel sweaty. How could he tell his brother what he had found out? He swallowed hard, "Erm, I've been doing some research...Taylor's charity doesn't exist..." he watched his brother, who momentarily paused after locking his locker, "But you already knew that..." Ethan finished.

Cal looked to the floor, then up to his younger brother's face, "The office was cleared out when I went round earlier. I went to her flat, her neighbour told me that she moved out this morning..."

"Oh Cal," breathed Ethan once more, "You've met you match this time."

Cal was shaking his head, "What we had was real Ethan."

Ethan was shocked by his brother's words, to say the least, "She played you Cal...she's gone...along with my life savings."

Cal actually looked sick, "There will be a perfectly logical explanation for all this. She'll explain it all to me tonight...at dinner."

The older man began to fasten his coat and threw his bag around his shoulder, not looking at the shocked, younger man in front of him, "Do you really think she'll turn up?" Ethan queried.

Cal shot him a reproachful look as he turned on his heel and left the room.

"Cal!" Ethan shouted after him. His brother was in denial, that was plain to see, but how could he make him see sense?

The young doctor quickly got changed, while mentally going through everything that had happened that day. A sudden, uncharacteristic wave of anger washed over him and he slammed his locker door, hard, "What's that door ever done to you?"

Ethan jumped, surprised to hear another voice. He looked round to see Charlie, his eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Oh, Charlie, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," he stammered.

"Evidently," Charlie replied, "Is everything alright? You've been a bit off all day."

Ethan sighed deeply, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, "It could be better," he offered. Charlie didn't move as he could sense that there was more to the story, "Cal's really outdone himself this time," Ethan explained with a humourless chuckle, "But we need to sort this out Charlie. I hope it didn't interfere with our work."

"Not at all. It was only because you two had been getting on so well lately that I noticed a problem. But it didn't affect your work at all Ethan, so don't worry."  
Ethan nodded, "Thank you. I'd better get going...I think I might have some pieces to pick up when I get home, so to speak."

With that he left the staff room behind.

In the twenty minutes or so that it took to walk home, Ethan had probably run through most possible scenarios of what could be waiting for him at the flat. What if Taylor was there? What would he say? Would any explanation she gave be enough for him? At least he could demand his money back without involving Cal, leaving his brother free to propose if that was what he still wanted to do.

Before he knew it, he was outside the door to his flat. He paused, listening carefully for voices. It sounded quiet, so he gently placed the key in the lock and let himself in. He put down his bag and made his way through to the lounge. He could smell candles burning, causing his heart rate in increase once more in rediness for what may be to come. Tentatively, he made his way to the dining area. He stopped in his tracks. Cal was sat at the head of the table, alone, staring into the candle flame. A tear was slowly falling down his face. Ethan felt his stomach clench. He had never seen his brother look so lost before. There had been numerous times where things had gone wrong in the past for Cal, but this...he looked broken.

"Cal," he whispered.

Cal looked up in surprise, "I thought you weren't coming home until later," he said.

"Well I thought..."

"You thought you'd come and gloat. Come on, out with it, let's get the 'I told you so' over and done with..."

Ethan tried not to let his scathing words bother him - Cal always lashed out when he was angry or upset, "I'd hoped that she would be here so I could ask her about the money..."

"Is that all you care about?" Cal all but snarled.

"No Cal, that's not all I care about," Ethan replied, hoping that his brother would pick up on the meaning.

Cal suddenly wiped at the tears, jumped to his feet and began clearing the table. Ethan took a step forward, "Leave that Cal - I'll do it. Why don't you go and get some sleep - it's been a tough day for you."  
Cal turned to face him, his eyes full once more, "It's been tough on you too...I've been tough on you...again."

Ethan laid a hand on his arm, "One of my patients said to me today, 'you lose your heart and you lose your head'...well you well and truely lost your heart."

Cal looked down at Ethan's hand on his arm and nodded his head miserably, "Look. Let's leave it a couple of days, see if we hear anything, but if not, I'll have to report her to the police Cal...she stole my money," Ethan insisted.

Cal stayed quiet as he collected his thoughts and made his way to bed, "Ethan," he called to gain his brother's attention, "For what it's worth, I am sorry - I thought I was doing something good, something worthwhile for a change, and yet again it backfired."

Ethan nodded knowingly, "I know you were Cal, but you met your match this time. Just know this though, although you may not be my favourite person at the moment, you are my brother and I will try to help you as much as I can."

"You're always helping me. I'm the oldest, it should be the other way round."

Ethan threw him a lopsided smile, "Yeah, that's never going to happen!"

For the first time that day, Cal smiled, "Yeah...thanks Ethan, good night."

"Night," Ethan replied as he busied himself tidying up. Once he had finished, he quietly peered round his brother's bedroom door, pleased to see that he was asleep. He poured himself a small glass of wine, powered up the computer and began researching ways of reclaiming stolen money - she wasn't going to get away with this!

The End.


End file.
